Genesis, 43

2.and when they had eaten the grain they brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go down again and buy us a little food."

3.But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us that our brother had to come with us.

4.If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you;

5.but if you don't send him, we will not go, for the man said: You will not be admitted to my presence if your brother is not with you."

6.Israel then said, "Why did you bring this misery on me by letting the man know you have another brother?"

7.They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kinsfolk saying: 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' And so we answered these questions. Could we have known that he would tell us to bring our brother?"

8.Judah then said to Israel his father, "Send the boy with me. Let us go so that we, you and our children may live and not die.

9.I will guarantee his safety. If I do not bring him back and set him here before you, I will bear the blame forever.

10.If we hadn't delayed for so long we could have been there and back twice over."

11.Israel their father said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some choice products of the land in your bags and a gift for the man - some balm, a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

12.Take double the money with you and you will repay what was put in your sacks; it may have been a mistake.

14.May God Almighty grant you mercy in his presence, so that he will allow you to bring back your other brother and Benjamin. As for myself if I am bereaved of my children, then bereaved I shall have to be."

15.The men took the gift and the double amount of money as well. And, taking Benjamin, they set off and went down to Egypt and were admitted to the presence of Joseph.

16.When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to his steward, "Bring these men to my house. Have an animal slaughtered and a meal prepared, for these men will eat with me at noon."

17.The steward did as Joseph directed and brought the men to Joseph's house.

18.They were afraid and said to each other, "It's because of the money that was placed in our sacks the last time, that we are brought in. He wants to attack and overpower us and have us as slaves and take our donkeys."

19.So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the door of the house,